Which statement best defines consonance and distinguishes it from alliteration?

Which statement best defines consonance and distinguishes it from alliteration?

• A. Consonance is repetition of consonant sounds, often at the ends of words; unlike alliteration, it is not restricted to initial sounds.
• B. Consonance refers to repetition of vowel sounds at the beginnings of syllables.
• C. Consonance is rhyme at the ends of lines.
• D. Consonance is the use of onomatopoeia to imitate sounds.

Answer: (A)

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in nearby words, and it isn’t limited to the beginnings of words. This lets the same consonant sounds appear inside words or at the ends, creating a certain musical cohesion without tying the pattern to initial letters. Alliteration, by contrast, is defined by repeating the initial consonant sounds of neighboring words, which gives a strong front-loaded rhythm. Think of a line like the pitter-patter of rain to see consonance at work—the repeated consonant sounds occur beyond just the starts of words. In contrast, a string like Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers shows alliteration through the repeated initial p sound across words. Other terms describe different sound patterns: repeating vowel sounds is assonance, rhyme at the ends of lines is end rhyme, and words that imitate sounds are onomatopoeia.

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in nearby words, and it isn’t limited to the beginnings of words. This lets the same consonant sounds appear inside words or at the ends, creating a certain musical cohesion without tying the pattern to initial letters. Alliteration, by contrast, is defined by repeating the initial consonant sounds of neighboring words, which gives a strong front-loaded rhythm. Think of a line like the pitter-patter of rain to see consonance at work—the repeated consonant sounds occur beyond just the starts of words. In contrast, a string like Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers shows alliteration through the repeated initial p sound across words. Other terms describe different sound patterns: repeating vowel sounds is assonance, rhyme at the ends of lines is end rhyme, and words that imitate sounds are onomatopoeia.